Cabinet Office minister Mo Mowlam has strongly dismissed claims
that she and other ministers were the target of secret government briefings.

She said the allegations made by multi-millionaire novelist Ken Follett that Labour spin doctors carried out secret briefing
on behalf of the prime minister were total "rubbish".

On Sunday, Mr Follett stepped up the attack he had already started on Labour's spin doctors,
blaming the prime minister's official spokesman Alastair Campbell and Northern
Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson for underhand practices.

I urge Labour supporters simply
not to believe the rubbish being peddled

Mo Mowlam

Ms Mowlam responded by saying: "Having read the stories in the Sunday papers,
particularly the piece by Ken Follett, I believe there is no-one briefing
against me, no foundation to the stories, and I urge Labour supporters simply
not to believe the rubbish being peddled."

She added she was looking forward to the party returning "to policy discussions which affect people's
lives."

Harsh criticism

But Mr Follett, who is married to Labour MP Barbara Follett, seems intent on stepping up his campaign of open criticism.

He claimed Mr Blair was "totally responsible" for the briefings adding: "He
is the only person who can stop it."

The novelist, who has always been known as a strong supporter of Blair, dubbed Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson as Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee.

"If it is not Alastair, it is Peter Mandelson. They are Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee, and if it is not one of those it is
somebody who works for them," he said.

"But they all work for the same boss ... it is Tony Blair. If Tony told them
to shut up, they would shut up."

Spin doctor responds

But Mr Campbell hit back at the remarks, saying serious people would treat Mr Follett's "rant" with
derision.

He said there was not a shred of evidence to the claim that anybody remotely
connected with the prime minister had briefed against Ms Mowlam.

"Anyone listening to the interview this morning might be inclined to wonder
whether he has a new book coming out in the near future and his publisher's spin
doctors are no doubt welcoming all the publicity," he said.